“21”

A senior,in high school, FINALLY asked a junior out. FINALLY, because the junior had been dropping hints for quite a while… as well as “networking” with his best-friends girl… working every angle to get this guy to ask….

He was sitting on the “Drama room” table. Kicking his feet. Looking quite cute.

“So— are you busy Saturday?” He asked.

PAUSE. LONG PAUSE. (As I thought….)

(even then, my answers were absolute… a yes was a yes, a no was a no….I had to think about the question… NOT becasue of who was asking…but, because, I was scheduled to babysit.. AND I was scheduled to help at a track meet… was I busy? YES…. would I fix that? YES……)

Pause.

“It’s not like I’m asking you what you’re doing or the rest of your life” He quipped.

embarrassed laugh.

21 years later- we both know that he was.

This morning, while driving my middle schooler to school… my cell went off.

“Trivia for ya…. what happened 21 years ago today?” Same guy. Same gurl. Different question.

I knew the answer to that one. We are entering what my DH calls the “holy week” ….no sacrilige intended…. it’s the week we celebrate how God brought us together.

Although our backgrounds are VERY different, somehow we found a match, and a helper in esch other. See- although his whole up-bringing he was taught against it…. I was an experience in : missionary dating”… I wasn’t a Christian. He was.

Actually, when we met- I was open to God, but had some pretty intense questions I wanted answered. I challenged his ideas, he taught me valuable truths. OK- so we fought things out until my debates were all answered. The way he patiently and passionately sought answers for my questions, as well as loved me regardless, won me over, not just to him, but to the God he served and knew. This God who was approachable, yet irreproachable, personal, yet separate and holy, this was a God I wanted to know. He introduced me to someone I desperately neede to meet, Jesus. He didn’t condemn, force or preach to me, he let me know about his friend. THAT worked.

Now, we’ve been MARRIED for almost 18 years. “Together” for 21. Our oldest son is OLDER than I was when my husband and I started dating… (thats FREAKY) We encourage each other, to grow in all ways, always closer to God. When we grow closer to God— individually, somehow- we also grow closer to each other.

In 21 years, there have been several jobs….3 churches, 3 pregnancies and births, 5 moves, several ppounds- gained and lost and gained again….thousands of hours of conversation, and quiet. Trips, housecleaning days, tears, laughter, romance, fights, money problems, going without, having something, encouraging each other, frustrating each other, leaving the “seat” up. We’ve cleaned up each others messes, we’ve renewed our wedding vows, we’ve ministered together, we’ve supported each other in our separate endeavors.

We’ve had milk in the fridge, and waited to see how we WOULD. We’ve been to formal events as “executive and wife” and camping in a tent. We’ve wondered where our next meal would come from, and we’ve been able to meet that need for others.

We’ve thrown up together. (flu is a bad thing) we’ve cared for each other. We’ve wanted to kill each other. We’ve prayed for each other.

Let’s face it- from 16 and 18- to 38(almost) and 40 (almost) we’ve grown up together.

(well- we ARE Growing up together— neither of us really feel like adults yet)

Our wedding vows were for better or worse in sickness in health, in much and in want…

It’s a good thing- too- because we’ve experienced them all. And will again, I’m sure.

Here’s the thing. If we were sitting on that drama room table today, knowing everything that it would entail. The good the bad and the ugly……